(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said on Monday that the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration approved the company's blockbuster
psoriasis drug, Stelara (ustekinumab), for use in adults with
Crohn's disease.

The drug is approved in the United States to treat plaque
psoriasis and a type of arthritis associated with psoriasis.

Crohn's is a chronic inflammatory condition in the
gastrointestinal tract, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal
bleeding, weight loss and fever. It affects about 700,000
Americans and nearly 250,000 Europeans, according to the
company.

Late-stage trial data showed Stelara induced remissions in
moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease patients who had previously
failed to benefit from TNF inhibitors, a leading class of
medicines for the inflammatory bowel disease.

The drug, which blocks two inflammation-causing proteins
IL-12 and IL-23, is one of J&J's largest revenue generators,
with sales of about $2.5 billion in 2015.

J&J's shares were about a percent lower at $117.83 in
morning trading.